Aunt Deb & Uncle Mike's Italian Christmas Cookies

This time during the year I frantically check the mail (multiple times a day) in hopes I'll find a little care package filled with delicious homemade goodies from my Aunt Deb & Uncle Mike.  It finally came, filled to the brim with an amazing assortment of Italian cookies... and they were more delicious than ever.  

I'm not even just saying that.  I think they sprinkled a little magic Rudolph dust in them or something.  These were soooo delish.  Some are sweet, some are chocolatey, some are more like lightly sweetened biscuits you have with coffee.  I love them ALL...they just make Christmas for me. They also send a batch of homemade Chex Mix, but I totally forgot to photograph it.  Mainly because I ate it too fast.

It's so special that they take the time to make these and send them to their loved ones.  You know these must take FOREVER to make, so I make sure I shove them in my mouth take my time when enjoying them. 

Thanks guys for another delicious batch.  Stay hungry! 

Christmas Cookie Swap Ideas

I LOVE the idea of doing a Christmas Cookie Swap.  Mostly because it's an excuse for friends to get together and drink catch up and celebrate the season with some booze homemade goodies.  Plus, who has the ability to make multiple kinds of homemade Christmas cookies from scratch, besides a super hero or my Aunt Deb?  AUNT DEB AND UNCLE MIKE I'D BETTER STILL BE ON THE MAILING LIST FOR THE COOKIES THIS YEAR.  No pressure.  But seriously, I'D BETTER BE.

Here are some yummy Hardly Housewives tried and true recipes to inspire your cookie swap this year.  And if you don't have a cookie swap, start one! Nothing says Christmas like spiked eggnog, cookies, and friends.  Sorry.  I haven't had a drink in 3 weeks and I'm starting to twitch. C'mon now.  This is the high calorie, judgment free zone....right?

Anyway, here are the cookies.

1.  Super Simple Cinnamon Roll Cookies.  These are SO simple to make and are one of my absolutely favorites.  They remind me of my Nonnie Connie and they always appear in my Aunt Deb's cookie box each year.




2. Rudolph Nose Cookies.  These are tradition in my family.  They are labor intensive, but very special oh and frickin' delicious.  Homemade fudge frosting anyone?




3.  Five Layer Bars - an oldie but a goodie, these are another one of my favorites. Each layer of sweetness is another layer of lurve.




4. Lauren's Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies.  I don't really know what else I need to say about these.  There is peanut butter...INSIDE a chocolate cookie.  You're welcome.




5. Oreo Truffles.  Yeah.  These are pretty amazing.  My cousin (in law) Lesley introduced me to these a couple of years ago and I just couldn't stop eating the little mo'fo's.  I'm pretty sure the entire source of my 5 lbs Christmas weight gain was pure Oreo truffle.



We'd love to hear about some of the cookies you're planning on making this year.  My goal is to make three cookies I've never made before by the time Christmas rolls around.  I love making homemade treats as gifts and I have LOTS of people I need to make treats for this year.

Stay hungry!

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

These. Are. Lethal.  So lethal, that instead of carrying mace around Chicago, I'll just throw these around. 

 

 



You know I don't bake.  I mean I never bake.  But these are so easy and so delicious that I just had to do it. My Aunt Deb and Uncle Mike send Christmas Cookies each year and these are the first I go after.  Plus, I was thinking a lot about my Nonnie Connie lately and I remember making these with her and when had left over pie crust from Thanksgiving.  They are so flaky and buttery and DELICIOUS.

 

 

Get prepared pie crust of your liking.  I like Pillsbury.  Next, take 2-3 tablespoons of room temp, unsalted butter and smear all over the pie crust.

 

Next, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon all over the top.  I usually do 1 teaspoon of cinnamon per 1/2 cup of white sugar, but you can totally add more cinnamon if you'd like.  Lastly, I sprinkle just a touch of sea salt on it.

Roll up the dough...

...and cut the dough with a sharp knife.

Bake according to the pie crust package instructions. I baked mine for 12 minutes at 450 degrees.  Just cook until nice and golden brown.

I love how these look.  They look crazy.  Like they should be at the Mad Hatter's tea party. 

 

Oh yeah...did I mention how delicious they are?

 

Stay hungry!



Rudolph Nose Cookies

I grew up with these adorable (and ridic tasty) cookies my entire life during Christmastime.  My Mom always went above and beyond to try and think of creative and fun treats for each holiday and this was no exception.  Our family (of two) decided to make these this year and it was so much fun.  

When Charlie suggested doing these cookies together, I wasn't totally sure I wanted to.  The last time I baked with him, this happened:



I'm glad I gave him a second chance because these came out just perfect.  I am smiling thinking of him reading this...because I'm actually the hazard in the kitchen.  I baked him a cake a couple weeks ago for his birthday and it was a DEEEESAAASSSSTTTERRR.  We're still finding butter and flour in the oddest of places.

These took us about 2 hours to make, start to finish.  There are lots of little tasks (cutting marshmallows, cutting cherries in half, etc) so this is definitely a twofer bake job.  Which I actually love, because it's fun to bake together, especially around the holidays.

Don't these look JUST like Rudolph Noses?

These are pillowy soft and the icing is almost fudge like.  I've already eaten THREE today.  Good gracious get these suckers out of here. 

Rudolph Noses Recipe: 

Cookies:

1.5 Cups All Purpose Flour 

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda 

1/2 Tsp Salt

2/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar 

1/2 Cup Shortening

1 egg

1/4 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice

2 T Half & Half (or Milk)

4 Oz Unsweetened Chocolate, Melted

1/4 Cup Chopped Maraschino Cherries

18 Jumbo Marshmallows - cut in half

Icing: 

6 Tbs of Butter 

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/4 Cup of Unsweetened Cocoa 

1/4 Cup of Half & Half 

2 Tsp of Vanilla 

18 Maraschino Cherries, Sliced in Half 

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together brown sugar, shortening, and egg until fulling incorporated.  In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Add cherry juice, half and half, melted chocolate, and chopped cherries.  Cut marshmallows in half and set aside.  Drop rounded tablespoon of mixture onto two ungreased cookie sheets. You want to make 36 cookies total.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  These are cake-like cookies, so a good way to check is to insert a toothpick into one of the cookies.  If it comes out clean, they are done.  Immediately after taking cookies out of the oven, press a marshmallow half (sticky side down) into the center of each cookie.  The heat from the cookie will help adhere the marshmallow.  Let these cool.  To prepare the icing, get a heavy/good quality pan and melt the butter over low-medium heat.  Add the rest of the ingredients (except cherries) and stir over the stove top until everything is nice and smooth and begins to thicken (about 5-7 minutes).  Pour icing into a glass bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes or so.  You want to begin icing while it's still warm but not hot, otherwise it won't stay on the marshmallow.  With a frosting knife or back of a spoon, ice each marshmallow, careful to not let any white show through.  Top with a cherry half to complete Rudolph's nose.  If the icing begins to crystallize too much, you can heat it in the microwave for 10-15 minutes.  We did this about 2-3 times during the process, FYI.

Stay hungry!

Five Layer Bars

Well maybe just one more sweet.  

So every year my Uncle Mike and Aunt Deb send my parents an assortment of AMAZING Christmas cookies.  It's hard to pick my favorite, but the ones I tend to dig around for most are the Five Layer Bars.  Ah-may-zing-zing-zing.  I made the mailing list this year I demanded they send me some and intend on being a permanent fixture on their list.  Send.  More. Cookies.  

So, as you can imagine, there are five layers to these fabulous goodies and the list of ingredients is pretty simple.

Graham Cracker Crumbs

Butter

Chopped Walnuts

Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Butterscotch Chips

Coconut Flakes 

Oh helllooooo there.  What's your name?  Come around here often?  I'm sorry.  I'm tired.

So obviously, we need to melt the butter before we mix it with the graham cracker crumbs to make our crust.  I didn't want to dirty an extra dish, so while the oven was preheating I just threw the stick in the pan and popped it in the oven for a few minutes.

Add the crumbs to the butter and mix....

...and then pat it down firmly with your hand.

The next part is easy.  Throw both chips, nuts, and coconut down and grab your sweetened condensed milk.  You can layer the ingredients however you want.  I LOVE the way toasted coconuts tastes so I put it on top.  Just make sure the crumbs are the bottom layer.  Obvi.

I also left the walnuts sort of big.  That is a personal preference.  You can use whatever nut you want though - pecans, almonds, whateva.  I'm a sucker for walnuts though  - they are so buttery.

Ok so pour the condensed milk on top of everything.  This will gel everything together as it bakes.

Wiggle the pan around so it's as even as possible but if you have spots that aren't covered, it doesn't matter.

What uuuuuuuup.  I am OBsessed with toasted coconut.  Actually.  This reminds me of a funny story.

So about seven years ago, I was hanging out with my sister at her old house in Maine and we decided we wanted to make something that included toasted coconut.  I think we were making sundaes.  Anyway, I decided to put coconut in the oven and I completely forgot about it.  It was in there for so long that it literally caught on fire.  Like any calm, normal adult, I grabbed the pan, ran through the living room with the flaming coconut and threw it out onto the front lawn and then ran back into the house and slammed the door.  Moral of the story:  Do not call me in a crisis and warn your neighbors when I'm coming to visit.

Hello yum yums.

You can tell that I didn't let this cool before I served myself a big honking piece because the bar is sorta slanting to the side.  Let these cool completely, maybe over night, before cutting them.  

Okey dokey smokey pokey.

So remember that time I said I didn't really like sweets?  Yeah don't believe a word I say.  Make these this Christmas weekend and watch them go like hot cakes.  Stay hungry!

Five Layer Bars Recipe
1-1/2 Cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Stick of Butter
1 Cup of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup of Butterscotch Chips
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz)

Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter.  In a 9x13 dish, mix melted butter and crumbs and form a crust by patting down firmly.  Add chips, walnuts, and shredded coconut.  Pour the sweetened condensed milk on top of all of the layers as evenly as possible and throw it in the oven for about 30 minutes.  Let rest until completely cool before cutting and serving.  Overnight if possible.  ENJOY!

Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies

Peanut butter. Check.

Chewy chocolate cookies. Check.

Peanut butter INSIDE chewy chocolate cookies. Check.

Five pounds fatter and feeling guilty. Check.

Double check.

My friend Lauren brought these over this weekend and left them for me to eat alone. In my closet. With the lights off. DAMN HER.

No seriously though. These were are so good and impressive. I can't put them down. I had no idea my little friend was capable of such wonder. Luckily she shared the recipe with me so now I can share them with YOU!

These might be my new Christmas go to cookie. Or my new go to daily 9am cookie. I can't decide. Try them out and stay hungry!

Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies Recipe

Cookies

1-1/2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Butter, Room temp

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed

1/4 Cup Peanut Butter

1 Egg

1 Tsp Vanilla

Filling

3/4 Cup Peanut Butter

3/4 Cup Confectioners' Sugar

Mix flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda well in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until well combined. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Make even balls and set aside. For the filling, mix both ingredients. Form filling balls about half the size of the cookie balls. Flatten the chocolate balls with your thumb and place peanut butter filling in the middle and fold cooking dough around the filling. Flatten each with a glass base dipped in sugar. Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes and ENJOY.